Deep Wounds
by Becky Hamilton
Summary: Emma has a terrifying nightmare, which leads to Killian finding out the secret behind Emma's scar on her chest.
1. Prologue

She ran through the night, breathing heavily. Casting terrified looks behind her. No matter how hard she tried to get away from the figures behind her. They always seemed to be right behind her. She ducked behind a building only to be met with one of the men who had originally confronted her, back in the park. She had just narrowly escaped them, only to be caught again. His grip was like a vice, never yielding no matter how hard she pulled to get free. Without any warning he shoved her into a nearby wall, causing her screams to be cut off as she made contact. Every ounce of oxygen being forced out of her lungs, all at once. Her head slumped forward as the air was forced out, only to be snapped up to gaze in her attacker's eyes before he spoke.

"You really shouldn't have done that. Now we are going to have to take it from you by force." A devilish smile made its way across his face. Terror creeping back into her chest as she looked into the black eyes before her.


	2. Continued

Killian was awakened by Emma's screams next to him. His first instinct was to be prepared for an attack, but when his eyes fell on Emma. The way her face was contorted in pain and the sweat beaded down her forehead. He knew in an instant what was happening to her, and this was no ordinary nightmare. This was a memory that had made a home in her head and was coming to the surface in a violent way. Pain hit Killian square in the chest as he looked upon his beautiful swan. He had to do something.

"Emma, Love, wake up. It's just a nightmare." Killian spoke urgently.

"I'm here. Come back to me, please." He touched her cheek with his right hand. Emma's eyes flashed open as he made contact with her. She looked around the room with fear in her eyes, before they fell on his face. As Emma took in the feature of his face her eyes started to welled with hot tears.

"Killian…" Her voice cracked as he pulled himself closer to her. She was shaking like a leave on a windy day. She wanted to stop but everything inside her couldn't make it happen. Emma hated looking so fragile to Killian.

"It's okay, Emma. I'm here." He said brushing his lips on her forehead. The sudden taste of sweat touched his lips. Killian didn't care, all the wanted was the be there for her. To put the pieces back together for her, to be her rock in times she was unsteady.

They lay there on the bed, quietly. For what seemed like hours before Emma stopped shaking. Killian never leaving her side, he wasn't gone at the first sign of trouble or a sticky ending. Emma was grateful for that, every moment of every day. She couldn't imagine not going into anything thing without having him at her side. To support and encourage her, and to make sure she always stayed true to herself. As the last of the tremors ripped through her body, she knew she needed to tell him what happened all those years ago. Even before she met Neal.

"Killian?" Emma spoke hesitantly.

"What is it, Love?" Killian's voice was calm and soothing to her, shoving the tremors away from her once and for all.

"I have to tell you something…" Emma couldn't look at him just yet; she knew that she wouldn't be able to get through this if she did.

"You can tell me anything." Killian spoke softly. He could tell it was something big, due to the fact that she was avoiding eye contact. He mentally braced himself for what was coming next.

"Before I met Neal… I… I… there was other circumstances that lead me not to trust men in general…" Emma's voice trailed off as she thought of how to tell him what had happened to her. Her body resumed a slow and steady tremble.

"It's okay…" Killian held her close as he could see and feel that she was having problems. Emma took a deep shaky breath in before she tried to speak once more.

"I was walking to my apartment through the park one evening. I was raining and I still had over ten blocks to walk. Three men stopped me in the park, and asked me if I wanted to hang out and have some fun…" Emma flinched visibly, and Killian bristled at the thought of what was about to happen next.

"I refused, and said I had to get back home. They didn't like that at all." She swallowed hard

"They kept blocking my path, until I took matters into my own hands and defended myself. I was able to run away." Emma went from looking at the ceiling to looking to her left across the room at the closet that had Killian's leather jacket hanging just inside. A small shard of hope sprang in Killian's chest at the thought of her alone with those men, and that she was able to get away.

"That was until I turned down the block to my apartment and was instantly dragged into the alley behind it." Emma kept her eyes on Killian's jacket. She had no idea how she was able to get this all out, but for some reason looking at it was helping.

"All three of them had followed me home… I was so close to my place that I could see the window to my livening room…" Emma inhaled sharply.

"They took turns… two holding me down while the other… they held a knife to my throat the whole time..." The realization hit Killian in the stomach as he put it all together. Anger and pain swelled in his chest as he slowly sat up to look at Emma better. She must have seen him out of the corner of her eye because as he did, she pulled down the collar of her shirt to reveal the scar across her chest that he had come to see when they were back in the Enchanted Forest together.

"This was where they held the blade during…" Emma clasped her eyes shut not fully able to say what happen. Then again Killian didn't need to hear it in order to know what they did to her. He could tell from how she described to him that they did what any bastard of a man would do. They raped her. One after another…

"I was sixteen…" Her age hit him square in the chest. Killian was having a hard time controlling it this time, so much so that it was threatening to burst from his very being.

"Emma…" Killian spoke softly. She turned her head to finally face him. Tears threatening to come down her cheeks.

"Was that what your nightmare about?" As the words came out of his mouth he could tell that the answer was already yes. Emma still nodded her response. At this response Killian lost it.

"WHO ARE THEY? DID THEY CATCH THE LIMEY BASTARDS? I'LL KILL THEM!" Killian was out of the bed before Emma could stop him. By the time she sat up and pulled the blanket over her form and up to her chin, he already had his pants and shirt on. He was just about to pull on his boots when she answered him.

"I don't know who they were. And no they couldn't catch them because I didn't report them. I was sixteen and living alone… there was no point. And it's not like anyone cared enough to stop it anyways." Emma's voice was quiet. Her walls were building up around her. She wanted to disappear. Killian could hear it in her voice, and visibly see the walls being built.

"I would have done anything and everything to stop it, Swan." Killian was at her side on the bed, offering her some kind of reassurance.

"I know…" Emma managed a half smile towards his comment, eyes glued to the floor now.

"Wait a bloody second." Killian thoughts went suddenly to a piece from her story. Emma raised one eyebrow as she glanced at him, her eye full of curiosity and pain all at the same time.

"Why were you living alone at sixteen? I thought you were in the foster system, until you met Neal." Killian was trying to match things together, but this was the only thing that didn't make sense.

"I was emancipated by the government. That means that as of sixteen I was legally responsible for myself. The government helped me get on my feet for the first year, and then when I met Neal I had a job." Emma was still clinging to the sheets around her chest. Her eyes wandering his face as she spoke.

"So you were living completely alone? And no one noticed the fact that you came into the building looking the way you would have?!" Killian's voice was full of anger again. How could someone not have noticed her bleeding and obviously in pain. People would have to be complete blind and ignorant to not help. The level of depravity was horrendous.

"Yes, and no one noticed me coming into the building. And it's was in modern time, Killian. No one cares anymore." Emma slowly got up off the bed and letting the sheet drop as she did. She then made her way to the closet for something to wear.

"Well, I can tell you this much. That if it was there. I would have stopped the bastards. And I would never have left your side afterwards." Killian carefully went to the closet to join Emma in a careful and tender embrace. He couldn't understand why someone would do that to a child. She was just a kid. Everything inside him screamed in pain for her. What could she have been feeling during this whole time. Even when she was with Neal or when she first met him. He finally understood one of the reasons why she was the way she was around men. He held her in his arms for the half an hour. All He wanted to do was put her back together, to heal the obvious wounds that were created and instilled since she was little. Killian felt the sudden urge to reassure her.

"Emma… I will never do hurt you like that, ever. You can always depend on me." Killian's spoke softly in her golden hair.

"I know, Killian. That is why you are the first and only person I have ever told." Emma quietly responded into his firm chest. The level of peace that came over Killian at that moment was almost felt within their embrace.

"I am honored to be trusted with such a vital piece of your past." Killian responded, while pulling her even closer into his arms. He meant every word of it. She had opened up to him in so many ways that even her parents didn't know. She had come to trust him. He was suddenly reminded of his comment to her while they were in the Giants Lair all those years ago.

 _"Try something new, Darling. It's called trust"_

It was only now that he realized the gravity that those words had taken on her, more over her reaction to them. It had caught him off guard then, but it made sense to him now. She had completely done just that since they were together or even getting closer to each other. And only now did he understand why it was so hard for her to do so. Not wanting to break their embrace he pulled back slightly and looked into her emerald eyes.

"Your scars make you who you are, Emma. And I love you even more for who they have made you today. It kills me on how you received them. But I will always love you no matter what." Killian quietly spoke to her. She was everything to him and he wanted to make sure that she knew that.

"Thank you, Killian. I love you too." Emma smiled warmly at him. He had changed so much since she first met him. Even though she had trust issues back then, he immediately picked up on them. She remembered standing opposite of Killian when he spoke those words. He was more perceptive than anyone else she had ever met. And here was the man of her dreams in her arms, the only man she had told about this. She looked into his eyes for any sign of him wanting to run away from her. She was instantly calmed by what she saw behind his icy blue eyes, except pure love. Something she hadn't seen in years. Killian was different, and it still amazed her to this day. No matter how much he had learned about her, he wasn't going to leave at the first sign of trouble. He was in it for the long hall. Emma was filled with the sense of relief, but most of all safety. Something she had wanted for years, and he was standing here with her. She decided in that moment that she was never going to let him go.


End file.
